Meanwhile in Romania
by LatinSpaceAngel
Summary: Charlie Weasley and his friend, Peresea de la Vega. They are best friends working in Romania studying dragons. Will they be more than just friends?
1. Chapter I

Peresea de la Vega looked up from the parchment she was copying notes from as another roll of parchment was placed before her. She smiled up at the freckled, blue-eyed face before her.  
"Que tál, Charlie?" she asked with a grin.  
"Hey Perry, just finished that evaluation on the Norwegian Ridgeback over by the lake area and decided to bring it over," replied Charlie Weasley, his face shining a bit from the heat of the dragon's flame.  
"Got a little close again Charlie?" Perry chuckled as she took the roll of parchment he just placed on her desk and placed it in one of the niches in the wall behind her. Peresea is a Keeper of Scrolls at the Dragon Observation and Protection Centre in Romania. She turned back and regarded her friend carefully, noting the new burn he had received on his left arm.  
"You better get that checked, Charlie. At least to get an anti-burn salve from Quinus," she added as he grimaced her way.  
  
Peresea de la Vega graduated from the North American Institute of Magic Instruction in the United States around the same time that Charlie graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the United Kingdom. They met one day in the Muggle appliance store in Brasov. He had wanted to buy something for his father, but had no idea what some of the items were. He was muttering about "...how in the world do Muggles use these things?" and other such questions, while the people regarded his dragonhide boots and dragonhide jacket with suspicion, and generally avoided him. Perry, being Muggleborn, knew more about such matters and asked him in a quiet voice in perfectly understandable American English, "Need some help? I'm Muggleborn, so I've been around this stuff all my life, though some of these items are too weird even for me." He had laughed and introduced himself, and she did the same. They found out they were just graduated from their respective schools and were working at the Centre, only that he was in the field and she was a transcriptionist. Ever since then, they had been good friends and often spent time together after their work was over, and even sometimes, during work hours. This time was no different.  
"Hey Perry, you have your lunch break yet?" Charlie questioned with a wince as he touched the burn she had noticed.  
"No, not yet. I've been working on Kralen's notes on the Romanian Longhorn for the past three hours. His handwriting is too small and cramped and it takes me the better part of a quarter of an hour to decipher one paragraph. No matter how many times I've told him to write a bit bigger so it's easier to transcribe, he just disregards what I say and continues to write in his chicken scratch". She sighs rubbing her hazel, almond–shaped eyes. Charlie smiled in sympathy, knowing exactly what she means. Kralen Selarien was another fielder like Charlie, from Poland. He had small writing since he tried to take many notes on his one roll of parchment. It was important to keep the parchment rolls to a minimum so that they didn't clutter up too much space in the library. That is why there are the transcribers. They copy the notes taken by the fielders and neatly put them on a fresh parchment, that is then covered in a thin layer of vellum to protect them. It was tedious work, but someone had to do it, and that someone today was Perry. Charlie smiled at her,  
"Come on. Take a lunch with me. You can make sure I go to the HW, then we can grab a sandwich or something." He wiggled his eyebrows at the mention of the Hospital Wing and held out his hand to her. She looked up at him and grinned.  
"Alright. I could use a break. Let me tell Madam Gosmer that I am heading to lunch." With that she gracefully stood up and, with her emerald green robes swishing softly at her ankles, walked to the slightly open door on the left side of the office, knocking lightly. Madam Melerina Gosmer is the Head Transcriptionist at the Centre, and Peresea's boss.  
"Madam Gos? I am heading out to lunch now. Do you want anything?" A short, elderly lady with her white hair tied up in a bun on top of her head, looked up from the roll of parchment she was reading. She was a grandmotherly-looking lady with apple cheeks and glittering green eyes framed behind small, round, wire-rimmed spectacles, and full lips, which were curved into a smile. She spoke in her soft British accent in reply, "No that's alright dearie. I have already got me lunch, but you go ahead and enjoy yourself. Hello Charlie," she called out the door.  
"Hullo Madam Gos. How are you feeling today?" Charlie comes up behind Perry, his body easily towering over hers, she being only 5 feet 3 inches tall, and he being much taller.  
"Oh I'm fine dear boy. Feeling much better, thank you for asking. Do take care of her would you? I'd like her back in one piece to finish her work." She told him with a wink and chuckle. Melerina Gosmer, or Madam Gos as she is affectionately called, is a kind woman. Fair and stern, when need be, but generally easygoing and genial, always quick with a smile, which makes those who work with her love her like a second grandma, and easy to be around. Perry blushed slightly and turned to go collect her moneybag and wand from her desk, only to bump lightly into Charlie. With a muttered "'xcuse me please" she ducks underneath his arm and gets the things from her desk, along with a cloak for the weather outside. They both headed out into the chilly midday air and took a deep breath, while rubbing their eyes a bit, and looking around at the hexagon-shaped courtyard.  
The Dragon Observation and Protection Centre was a cluster of buildings near the Transylvanian Mountains. To any of the non-magic community it looked like the ruins of an old village, said to be haunted, but enchanted with Dispelling Charms and other such enchantments to keep the Muggles away. At the 'head' of the hexagon, on the west corner, stood the administration building and the library, by far the largest of all the buildings at the Centre, standing at two stories housing the library and records in the first floor, where Perry worked, and the other administration offices in the second floor. The next two 'corners' housed the living quarters for the fielders and the transcribers. They were one- room apartments where they lived, the south one, facing the Transylvanian Alps, was the fielder housing building, rising three stories, and the North one, facing the valley, was the transcriber housing building, also rising three stories. The next two 'corners' housed the two-storied Hospital Wing on the north side, and the three-storied Common building on the south side, where the dining area and small shops, as well as the post department was held. The final building, at the 'tail' of the hexagon was the Hatchery and Conservation Building, where abandoned baby dragons were nursed and registered with the Centre.  
  
They headed to the second north corner for Charlie's anti-burn salve, smiling and greeting their colleagues as they passed, their breaths puffing lightly in the cold air, their boots crunching over the snow. So close to the Transylvanian Alps it snowed pretty often and was rather cold most of the year. They walked over to the building, through the large oak door, and into the waiting hall. Perry grinned at Charlie,  
"I'll wait here Charlie. I'm sure Healer Quinus will be done with you forthwith." He rolled his eyes as she used her literary references and grinned, nodding to the receptionist and telling her what he needed. Perry stayed near the door and glanced into the mirror on the wall by the entryway. She saw a caramel/honey skin-colored woman in her early twenties. Her dark brown, shoulder mid-back length hair with its amber highlights was pulled back from her face in a French braid clasped by the emerald green and gold dragon clasp that Charlie had gotten her for her birthday. She studied her face intently, hazel, almond shaped eyes that lit up when she was excited to an almost green color, and darkened to a brown when she was upset, roved over her features. She wasn't what one would call gorgeous, but she was attractive in her own right. Her high cheekbones, long dark eyelashes, and high arched eyebrows belied her Puerto Rican Native heritage, while her small nose and medium to full lips belied her Spanish one. She was fairly attractive, with a petite but hourglass figure, generous hips, and legs of a decent length. She was wearing her emerald colored robes, dragonhide boots on her feet, and golden hoop earrings. She looked over at the door to the internal HW as Charlie walked out with the Healer Quinus Chinellen. The healer looked at her with a friendly smile,  
"Hullo Miss y la Vega. A pleasure to see you as always." Perry grinned back,  
"Same to you Master Healer. How fare you?" The small, balding, portly Healer smiled,  
  
"I am alright, thanks. If you must excuse me, I must head back to my patients. It was a pleasure seeing you both." With that he bowed his head to the two of them and headed back inside the infirmary, while Charlie came and wrapped his arm around Peresea's shoulders. "To lunch then?" They headed out into the cold air. 


	2. Chapter II

They headed across the courtyard to the Common building and hurried inside, the smell of curry and spices greeting them as they entered along with a warmth that settled in their bones and made them forget the cold outside. They went to the lunch counter and each ordered a ham sandwich, a chicken soup, and a goblet of pumpkin juice. They paid for their lunch and took a booth by a window settling across form each other and setting their cloaks aside. Charlie smiled nibbling at his sandwich and looked over at his best friend. She smiled back over her chicken soup. Perry had been his best friend since his first year here and he cared for her in such a deep way, that, even after eight years, he still didn't have the nerve to tell her. He had fallen in love with her spirit, her intelligence, her heart, and virtually everything about her; even her bad habit of fussing with her nails and hair when she's nervous. She flushed and ducked her head then looked up at him with a smile,  
"Why are you looking at me like that? What's up?" He shook his head and blinked, blushing a bit. He had been staring at her for too long with a stupid grin on his face.  
"Um.... nothing. I just realized... that you are wearing the hair pin I gave you and I was remembering.... the night I gave it to you." He smiled sheepishly and began to eat his soup so quickly that it burned his tongue. She raised an eyebrow at him and laughed.  
"O-o-okay, if you say so Charlie. Be careful you're going to burn yourself," she looked pointedly at him. He grimaced and drank some juice. "Too late" he gasped. She let out a peal of laughter and grinned at him with an I-told-you-so-look. He grinned back and threw a balled-up napkin at her. She laughed and threw it back, then sobered and gave a quick look around, leaning in so he could hear her.  
"Heard anything from Dumbledore or any of the Order?" He shook his head, "No. Not since Harry's been home. Things have been quiet. A few scuffles here and there but old You-Know-Who has been keeping quiet." He looked at his sandwich with a sigh, and stuffed the rest of it in his mouth. She nodded and finished her sandwich. They were both part of the Order of the Phoenix, based in London, at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place in London. It was headed by Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the age. This secret order fought against the darkest wizard of the age, Lord Voldemort. Many people were afraid to speak his name, for even that invoked fear, so they referred to him as You-Know-Who or "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named". He smiled at her as she stretched and reached for her cloak, reveling in the beauty of her movements. She grinned at him again and put on her earmuffs.  
  
"I should get back to my desk. Thanks for lunch. It was great, as usual." She flushed a bit then kissed his cheek and headed out, wrapping her cloak around her. Charlie smiled and placed his hand on his cheek where she had kissed him. He felt the need rising within him to tell her how he felt. He hurriedly put his cloak on and hurried outside.  
"Hey Perry! Um... how about coming over for dinner and a game of wizard's chess tonight? That is, if you are not doing anything." He added hastily. She smiled and nodded, "At the usual time then?" He nodded happily, and then headed to the mountainside, a clipboard with parchment attached appearing in his hand. He then looked up suddenly. Oh no! He has to figure out what to cook for dinner!!  
  
Six hours later..................................  
  
Charlie looked up from stirring the tomato-basil-onion sauce at the soft knocking on the door. "Come on in, Perry. The door's open" He smiled at her as she entered, bringing with her a bottle of red wine. "I figured you might like some wine with the pasta." He had told her that he was making ziti with tomato-garlic sauce and garlic bread, knowing it was one of her favorite dishes. She had grinned and told him she'd be bringing the complimentary beverage, even though he kept telling her not to trouble herself. He smiled, "Thanks, just put it in the ice bucket on the table." She nodded and looked at the table setting. He had lit candles and made the table really nice for their dinner. She nodded in appreciation and hung her cloak on a peg by the door. "Dinner's almost ready, Perry. Just take a seat and make yourself comfortable." She nodded and sat at the table hands folded, watching him putter around his small kitchen. All the apartments are pretty standard. They came already furnished with a couch, a coffee table, and some armchairs near with some end tables beside them holding candleholders. They hold one bedroom having been furnished with one full-sized bed, a chest of drawers, a mirror, a bookcase and a reading chair. They also hold a desk and a perch for a pet owl if the inhabitant owned one. The kitchen held a stove, a table with two chairs and a sink. It also held a cooling box (like a fridge, except run by magic). Charlie's apartment was decorated with pictures of his family zooming around their pictures, as well as some Quidditch pictures. There are also some other sculptures and such that Perry had picked out for him as a housewarming. Her apartment had some stationary pictures and had stars, moon, and planetary decorations, as well as other Muggle items from her home back in the States. Her snow owl, Horus, was also perched at her home. Perry grinned at him, "Want me to pour the wine?" He nods as he begins to place the pasta on the plates and pour sauce over them, and then places the basket of garlic bread pieces on the table between them. Then takes a seat as she places the two glasses of wine before the plates. "Hmmm... This looks delicious, Charlie" she nods approvingly as she sits before him taking a piece of bread. They laughed and spoke about the rest of their day and about families throughout the dinner, joking about what large families they came from. When they finished, she smiled as she stood and started to clear the dishes from the meal. He took her hand and held it, "Don't worry about it. There's something important I need to say to you." With a quizzical look she nodded and he led her to the couch and sat her down, still holding her hands.  
"Perry, I have wanted to say this for a long time. You and I have been friends for seven years or so and well...." He looked down, his face flushed and it all came out in one breath, "Perry, I have fallen in love with you." 


	3. Chapter III

Perry just sat, staring at him, mouth open in shock. She shook her head and let go of his hand standing up, backing away from him. Charlie looked up at her, his face showing hurt at her apparent refusal of his love. Peresea just stood there and looked at him. It hurt her to have him think that she did not love him back, when in fact she does, but she was in shock. She did not know how to tell him that they couldn't be together. That it would not be possible. That she was promised to another ever since she was a small child. She just looked down and then went to the door, picking up her cloak, shaking her head,  
"Charlie... I... I have to go. I should get back to my place. Thank you for dinner. It was great. I... I have to go. See you tomorrow." She headed out the door before he could protest, leaving him with a confused and hurt look on his face.  
She rushed across the courtyard, up the stairs and into her apartment, closing the door behind her tears streaming down her face as she threw her cloak off and flopped upon her bed, sobbing loudly into the pillow. She sobbed as the night wore on, crying herself to sleep.  
  
***  
  
She awoke to the sound of her alarm, a blue dragon clock that Charlie had given her when she had told him she was not an early riser. It would let out a roar every seven seconds. She pulled its tail to shut it off and sat up, stretching and yawning, blinking the morning sunlight. "It was all a dream. It was all a dream..." she muttered to herself as she headed to the washroom. Last night was all a dream, Charlie had not told her he loved her, and she did not run out on him rather than telling him how she felt. She looked up at the mirror above the sink and saw her red- rimmed eyes, her rumpled clothes, her unkempt braid, and realized it was no dream. The mirror spoke to her, "You look awful, dearie. Rough night with the dragons?" Perry scowled at the mirror, and peeled off her clothes to take a hot shower, hoping to get some refuge from the soothing heat and steam. She finished showering and brushing her teeth, pulled on cranberry-colored robes and tied her hair back into a knot at the nape of her neck, securing it with some ruby- colored combs to match her robes. She headed down to the Commons her eyes downcast, hoping she would not meet.... "Charlie what are you doing here?" her head snapped up as she bumped into him at the hot cereal line, almost knocking her goblet of juice of the tray she held. He just looked down at her, his face void of emotion, though his eyes screamed betrayal, his voice crisp, "Getting breakfast, just like you, Miss de la Vega." She stepped back, his chilly demeanor hitting her like a blow to the face. She bit her lip and ducked her head dropping her tray on a table, then ran out of the Commons, tears streaming down her face. Blinded by tears she headed past the Hospital Wing and down into the valley, not really watching where she was going, only wanting to leave the hurt behind, she ran far, farther than she should have, and she heard a loud roar before and above her. A medium-sized Romanian Longhorn, only a few months old, was heading toward her, an evil look in its eyes, she stopped dead, and let out a high-pitched scream, blacking out as the dragon swooped toward her. 


	4. Chapter IV

Charlie rubbed his eyes wearily as he watched over Perry's bed. It was evening and he himself had only woken up a few hours before. He had followed her out to the valley when she ran out of the Common building this morning so that he could apologize and get the story from her straight, but when he saw that Longhorn reach out toward her he cast his stun spell to try to get its attention away from her. It worked, but the dragon had landed and flicked its powerful tail. Unfortunately it had hit Perry dashing her a few hundred yards, breaking a few ribs, bones, and launching her into a coma. He then tried to battle the dragon, hearing and seeing a few other stunning spells coming from behind him, other fielders had heard it. The dragon swiped at Charlie, narrowly missing killing him, but slashing at him with claws, leaving him with gashes all over his body. He muttered something about Perry and pointing in the general direction her body had fallen before falling to the ground before his saviors. He awoke naked and bandaged in the Hospital Wing, his bed next to Perry's. With a cottony feeling in his mouth he grasped some water from his bedside and looked over at Perry, his own eyes feeling with tears. He felt to blame for her being in that bed. If he hadn't been so cold, if he hadn't even bothered to tell her how he felt she would not have been in that bed. He had wrapped a robe around him that was hanging by his bed and sat by her own bed, taking her hand in his. "Perry, I am so sorry. Please don't die. I need you too much," he whispered hoarsely, his voice shaking with emotion. A slight rustle of robes and a throat clearing behind him alerted him that there was someone there. He turned and saw Healer Quinus looking at him with a slight frown. "You shouldn't be out of bed, Charlie," he said in a slightly disapproving tone. Charlie flushed and looked at the healer. "Will she be alright, Quinus?" The healer sighed softly and put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "She is in a very delicate condition, but we shall try to awaken her soon. Her bones will mend in a few days, but she has had a very hard blow to the head, nearly fracturing her skull. In fact, it is a miracle it didn't break in any way. I am sure she will be physically all right, but we must watch and see if she has suffered any brain damage. Now please get back into bed." With that, the healer stepped back expectantly. Charlie shook his head. "May I please stay here a few more minutes? This is all my fault and I just need some time with her. Please?" He looked up at the healer with a pleading expression. The healer sighed and nodded, "As soon as you are done back to the bed with you, all right?" Charlie nodded and then looked back at Perry's face, still and beautiful in sleep, and took her hand in his once more, as the healer moved away. He took her palm and kissed it, and then with his other hand his fingers brushed aside a spare lock of hair from her forehead, running them down her cheek softly, tenderly. He dropped a kiss to her forehead then shuffled back into the bed beside hers, lying on his back, awake, thinking. Sleep was a long time in coming.  
  
Three days later.................................  
  
A soft rustle and low murmuring greeted him as he awoke from a fitful sleep. He kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep as he listened to the healers talking about Perry beside him. "She has shown a remarkable turn, almost as if she were fighting to come back. She will wake soon, within a few days I expect. I will keep the sleep spell on her until tomorrow, and see if she wakes then. The mending will have been done by then." Quinus' voice was soft, so as not to disturb Charlie. Madam Gos nodded and spoke softly as well, "Yes. I suppose the reason she is fighting so hard is because of Charlie over there. Those two are inseparable and would make quite the couple if it were not for Perry's consequences... Well thank you, Quinus, for letting me see them. I'll come back again to check in later on." Soft rustling and quiet footsteps indicated that they were heading away, followed by the soft click of the door as it was closed. With a muffled groan Charlie lay on his back eyes open, looking up at the ceiling, thinking. "What consequences could they be talking about?" He glanced over at Perry's sleeping form. "What haven't you told me Per? What don't I know that would keep you from loving me?" he thought as he watched her. Perry however, remained silent and unmoving. Soon thereafter Quinus came back in to check if Charlie was awake and needing anything. Charlie smiled at him and only mentioned he needed to relieve himself and have some food. The healer nodded and helped him out of bed. When he returned, he changed his dressings, and conjured up a tray of tea, toast and marmalade, and a bit of cold ham, before turning to walk away. "Quinus, wait." At this the healer turned, "Yes, Charlie?" Charlie sighed, "I heard you and Madame Gos speaking earlier. What are those consequences regarding Perry that she mentioned?" The healer raised an eyebrow, "So we have an eavesdropper in our midst?" he asked with a chuckle. Charlie had the grace to blush and look down abashed. The healer chuckled again and sat on a chair by his bed, on his other side, away from Perry. "I am not rightly sure about the details, actually. All I know is that Perry has some unusual circumstances regarding her life. She had mentioned it in passing once when she came in for a twisted ankle a few months ago. She had been sad about something, and had not watched where she was stepping, slipping on a patch of ice. I healed her in an instant and cast a cheering charm on her. She smiled and told me it was not necessary but that she thanked me regardless. Then off she went. You might want to ask Miss de la Vega when she awakens, which will probably be sometime within the next few days. You, however, shall be back on the fields by tomorrow afternoon, though I suggest waiting a bit before returning to the dragons. Now get some rest." He patted Charlie on the shoulder and headed out of the room. Charlie nibbled on his food, thinking, wondering what Perry could have been keeping from him all these years. With a sigh he lay back in bed. He looked around at what he had accumulated these past few days. Some of the other fielders had gotten him some flowers and a book to keep him occupied. His mother had sent some homemade fudge for both him and Perry, along with a letter asking them to come visit sometime soon, as their holidays were only a few weeks away. He knew his parents had liked Perry when they came to see him a few years ago, and his mother had treated her almost as a daughter. Kralen had brought some of his drawings for both of them. Dragons for Charlie and landscapes for Perry, knowing that she probably wouldn't want to see dragons for a good time to come. With a sigh he picked up his copy of Lacaster's Quidditch Follies Through the Ages, the book his fielder friends had brought. It was supposed to give a view of some of the worst plays in quidditch, but he wasn't much up to thinking about that. Instead, he lay back, the book open on his chest, thinking, wondering about Perry. Visitors came and went throughout the day exchanging words and pleasantries with him. Finally, the last visitor and Quinus left and he was alone with his thoughts, looking over at Perry in the soft candlelight. With some effort he stood and sat by her bed once more, taking her hand in his as he had done each night, running his rough, calloused thumb over her smooth, soft knuckles. "What haven't you told me, Perry?" he whispered softly to her, "What is so bad that you feel you must keep it from me? Don't you know I would love you even if you were a death eater and served the Dark Lord himself? Why can't you trust me with this, Perry?" His eyes burned as he tried to keep the tears back, feeling helpless as he watched her lie there, her face full of flickering shadows from the candlelight. His fingers rose again to her face, to brush her cheeks softly, and he stood, stooping low and brushed her lips with his own before turning back to his bed. He would be released tomorrow morning, and would return to his duties the morning after. Sighing, he turned toward her, watching her sleep until he grew drowsy, her face being the last thing he saw before dropping off to sleep. 


	5. Chapter V

Voices. Murmuring voices. Voices that sounded familiar, like people she knew. She wanted to ask them what they were doing in her apartment so early in the morning. She tried to speak but only a moan sounded from her lips. The voices stopped. Her eyes felt heavy. So heavy. They felt as if she had hundred-pound weights on her eyelids. She tried to move her hands, but they too felt like dead weights, and her head hurt. A lot. She let out another low moan, and struggled to open her eyes, blinking trying to focus on the faces above her. She tried to lift her head but it hurt to much. She felt a gentle hand on her forehead and heard a voice that sounded a lot like Healer Quinus', but she heard it as if she was underwater.

"Easy Perry, take it slowly," the healer spoke soothingly, brushing her face with a cool, wet towel. She opened her mouth to speak, to ask where she was, but all that came out was a croak. Another gentle hand came by her mouth and in it was a spoon full of ice chips. She accepted it gratefully, wondering why she was being treated this way, and why the master healer was at her apartment. After a few more blinks her eyes focused on Madame Gos, Quinus, and another female healer by her bedside.

"What happened? Where am I?" She whispered, looking at them. The other healer patted her forehead with the cool cloth again and smiled, looking at Quinus.

"In the Hospital Wing. Perry, you have been in a coma and under a sleeping charm for a week. Do you remember anything?" he asked her. She swallowed hard, and tried to nod, but it hurt too much.

"Yes. The last thing I remember is a medium-sized Longhorn diving toward me. I don't remember anything else until now. What happened?" her voice came out in a hoarse whisper and the lady healer gave her some more ice chips to soothe her throat.

"Charlie stunned it. It turned to attack him, but it flicked its tail in your direction, throwing you a few hundred yards. You had a few ribs broken and nearly fractured your skull." Madam Gos replied to her. A look of dismay crossed Perry's face, and she tried to raise her head to look around.

"Charlie? Oh sweet heaven! What happened to him? Where is he? If something happened to him I'll never forgive myself…." She broke off and stopped moving her head as a wave of dizziness swept over her. Madam Gos put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Easy child, he is alright. He was released two days ago. The dragon gashed him up pretty hard, and I reckon he will have scars, but he is alive and well. He has been to see you every night after he was released. It took Quinus and two other healers to pry him from your bedside for the night." She let out a chuckle. "In fact, I should go alert him that you are awake. He will want to see you." With that she headed away, pausing only to turn back a moment to say, "You may want to freshen up dear girl." Then with a swish of her robes she was out the door. Perry just sat there a moment, before looking up at Quinus and whispering, "I need to use the bathroom." He nodded and looked to the lady healer, who helped her out of bed and took her to the bathroom, helping her wash her face and brush her hair and teeth. After she finished, the lady healer helped her back into bed, and fluffed her pillows so she was able to sit up, and gave her some water to soothe her throat. At Charlie's tentative knock, the lady healer opened the door, letting him in, then excused herself quietly to give them some time alone.

"Perry!" Charlie rushed toward her bedside and gently cradled her in his arms, giving her a tight, yet gentle hug. Perry's eyes welled up with tears as she saw Charlie and hugged him back fiercely, wrapping her arms tightly around him, burrowing her face in his neck. He rubbed her back gently, murmuring soothing words to her as she wept hugging him tightly.

"Charlie, I am so sorry, so very sorry," she whispered to him. He pulled back and looked at her, his hands cradling her face, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

"Sorry for what, Per?" he asked her, searching her face, his heart breaking at seeing her tears. She looked at him, speaking softly.

"For running out that way, I should have told you everything. I'm sorry for the dragon and for getting you hurt. For hurting you and..." He smiled gently and placed a gentle finger on her lips, shushing her "Let's not worry about that right now. I'm just glad you are alright. I was afraid I was going to lose you." She just looked at him, and hugged him again tightly, not wanting to let go, afraid to have him leave her. He smiled at her, "No worries. I am not angry with you. Now you need to rest. You still owe me a game of wizard's chess" She let out a low laugh and nodded, lying back, suddenly very tired again. He grinned, "I'm going to get back to work, but I'll come back later, okay?" He leaned down and kissed her forehead, sending pleasant shivers down her back, and she nodded smiling back at him, dropping back into another light sleep.

A few hours later……..

Perry sat up on her pillows, reading some notes and such that her well-wishers brought her. She heard a soft knock on the door, looking toward it and smiled when she saw Charlie's head poke in.  
"Hey you. I was just reading some stuff. How are you feeling?" She smiled at him, placing the notes on the table beside her bed. He smiled at her, walking to the bed and dropping a kiss on her forehead.  
"I am glad to see you up and feeling better." She nodded, "I am feeling much better than this morning, definitely." She watched him sit down on a chair by her bed, easing his 5 foot 8 inch body into it. He just looked at her a moment, his expression thoughtful, though his eyes showed that he was fighting with himself over something, then he sighed and took one of her hands in his.  
"Perry, I overheard Quinus and Madame Gos talking about you having circumstances in your life which wouldn't allow us to… be together, in a matter of speaking." He spoke hesitantly, as if he were embarrassed to be asking such a question to her. She paled, the color draining from her face as he asked her the inevitable question that she knew she needed to answer, but was dreading the day she would. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it, her eyes sad as she looked down at their hands. For a moment, neither one of them said a word as Perry tried to compose her thoughts, then she began to slowly tell him the story she had kept hidden from him for so long:  
"I was born into an upper-middle class family, who still believe in the idea of class as the deciding factor of marriage. At the age of seven I was introduced to the boy I would once marry, as was prearranged by my father and grandfather, and his father and grandfather. His name was Ariel Montero-Verrena author's note: in Hispanic culture Ariel is considered a boy's name. We were encouraged to become friends and spend time together, getting to know each other. At the time we didn't know why, but we became good friends, nonetheless. Then, when I was eleven, I was accepted into the NAIMI, and the strange things that happened when I got upset finally made sense. My parents and grandparents were furious and were about to forbid me to go, when another girl in my neighborhood received an owl, too. We saw it outside her house. It had turned out that theirs was a half-and half family. Their father was a wizard and the mother was a Muggle. We spoke to them about the school and my parents agreed to let me go. The problem remained on how we were going to explain it to Ariel and his family. Finally, my mother told his family that I was being sent off to a special boarding school for intelligent students under a full scholarship and it was too good for me to say no. They were afraid that his family would deny me because I was a witch. Every year I went back home, keeping my secret from Ariel and only speaking about the NAIMI with Maricia, the halfblood witch in my neighborhood.  
"Well, as the years went on I grew and I found out that it is not status and class that define how much a person is worth as a friend, or as a life partner, but who they are inside. The whole idea went against my very upbringing, and when I brought it up to my family (the Christmas before my last term) we had a huge falling out. They reminded me that it was my duty as a daughter to follow the tradition, and that it was a binding agreement that the two families made. I would have to marry Ariel whether I wanted to or not. I burst into angry tears, and told them that after my years in the Institute that I was going to be a transcriptionist in Romania, working with dragons. Needless to say, they were not happy. They wanted me to work for the government, even the wizarding government, because it was important and would bring a good name to myself, to the family, and to Ariel's family. I was so upset that night. All I did was cry and cry in my pillow, sobbing until my throat was sore. By that point I had learned enough control to not make anything explode while I was screaming on the inside. The rest of that Christmas break was sullen, quiet, and tense. My family generally avoided me, afraid of what I could do to them with magic.  
"The term came and went and I graduated, receiving my commendation for Romania, and three weeks after I had finished I left home for good. Before I left, however, I had told Ariel of what I was and what I had been studying. He was upset that I had kept this from him, now that we were very close, almost lovers, but with me being away so much, nothing could have happened. I told him I was sorry, but that was how it had to be. He didn't deny me like everyone thought he would. I told him I would see him again soon, and then left. My goodbyes to my family were short and tense. They blamed my witch training for my rebellion, but they knew that regardless of how I might feel, my sense of duty was greater than my desires. I told them that I would stay in Romania for ten years, following what I wanted to do, then I would return home and marry Ariel.  
"Then," she sighed and squeezed his hand, "I met you, Charlie. You were my first friend here and you and I became inseparable, more so than Ariel and I could ever have been. I trust you more than I trust anyone else, and my love for you runs deeper then even you could understand. But…as much as I love you, Charlie, my sense of duty goes further than my desires, as my family well knows. I am bound to another, which is why I cannot be with you Charlie, no matter how much I may want to." As she finished she let go of his hand, and her voice became soft. She took a few breaths and tears flowed from her cheeks. "It is done. I have finally told him," she thought to herself as she folded her hands on her lap, not looking at him. There was silence between them for a long time; so long that Perry thought he was so angry he would not speak to her again. Her heart sank at this thought, and she closed her eyes, unable to speak for the lump in her throat. She then felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her, hugging her gently, and a soft voice whisper,  
"It's okay, Perry. Don't cry. I will always be here." With a sigh of relief she clung to his shirt. They stayed that way for a long time, him hugging her and she holding on to his shirt, weeping into his chest.


	6. Chapter VI

Charlie sighed as he took notes on the mother dragon below him in the valley. It had been a week since he'd heard Perry's story. She had been released the day after her awakening, and had returned to work a few days after that. He still treated her the same, but he felt saddened by the circumstances in her life, and by what she had to go through. "Imagine not being able to be with the one you love because of a mere class difference," he thought. It was almost as stupid as not being able to love someone because they were not pureblooded wizards, which unfortunately as he well knew, was not uncommon. He shrugged and continued observing, then once his note sheet was completed, headed back to the Administration building, He entered the transcription area, noting Perry sat in her seat, eyes close to a sheet of parchment upon which was some very cramped handwriting, Kralen again. He grinned and placed his parchment on her desk,  
"Want me to talk to Kralen for you?" he tried to sound casual even though his heart cried for her. He didn't want to make this awkward for the both of them. She smiled and looked up at him, the tip of her nose smudged with ink.  
"Thanks, but this is the highlight of my day." Her smile warmed his heart and he grinned nodding, then with a wave he headed out.  
"I'm tired. I think I'll head to my bed early. See you tomorrow, Per" She nodded and waved, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, but they showed pain and sadness at his departure. He quickly walked out into the cold air and headed toward his flat, then without even removing his clothes and shoes he fell to the bed, lying back, thinking, until he drifted off to sleep.  
  
***  
Charlie stirred and awoke to a tapping at his window. He groaned and opened his eyes, seeing a snowy white owl fluttering outside. He quickly stood and headed over to the window, opening it, shivering at the cold air that entered with the owl.  
"Hey, Horus, whatcha got there?" he took the note clasped in the owl's beak and petted its head lightly. He nipped at Charlie's finger lightly the perched itself on top of the dresser mirror. Charlie ignited the candles in his room then opened the note, wondering why Perry sent him Horus in the middle of the night. He held the paper in his hand, as he read the simple message:  
Charlie, Meet me tomorrow morning, breakfastime, by the fountain in the courtyard. There is something important I need to speak to you about.  
Love,  
~ Perry He dimly wondered what this could be, then smiled and got an owl treat for Horus. The owl took the treat, and with a flutter of wings was back out the window. Charlie watched him for a moment, closed the window, changed into this pajamas and went back to sleep.  
He awoke feeling fresh, having slept soundly for the first time in a week. He went through his morning routine of exercising, shaving, bathing, and brushing his teeth, then headed down to wait for Perry by the water fountain. He found her already there, holding onto a sheet of paper, reading it avidly, as if it were a guarantee of life out of Azkaban. She looked up as he approached, and without warning, launched herself into his arms, pressing her lips against his in an excited kiss. He stiffened a bit, and then kissed her back wrapping his arms around her, a voice screaming in the back of his mind that he shouldn't do this, but he didn't care. He wanted to lose himself in the sensation forever. Too soon, the kiss was over and Perry looked at him with sparkling eyes, and a grin that was infectious. He looked at her wonderingly questions swirling in his mind, but he asked the key one that would lead to other answers,  
"What was that all about?" She grinned and showed him the letter she had been holding in her hand. He began to read it:  
Dearest Peresea,  
I borrowed this owl from Maricia, your friend, since she assured  
me that this would be the fastest way to get to you rather than  
normal international mail. I want you to know, first of all,  
that you are my best friend, one that is very dear to me, and  
that I would never hurt you intentionally. You know that we are  
under the contract for marriage that was agreed upon my our  
fathers and that we, being the good children that we are, were  
going to follow through with it, even though we both know in our  
heart of hearts that you and I are not meant to be together. I  
say this because I know you Perry, like I know myself. I know  
you do not love me that way, and you know that I do not love you  
that way. Your correspondence from Romania, few and far between  
that it was, let me know that for sure. With this certainty I  
called a meeting of our respective fathers and told them that  
the contract was annulled. Needless to say, they raised hell  
when they heard of this, calling me an irresponsible child and a  
disgrace to the family, and, well you get the idea. I stood my  
ground, Perry, for you and me, I stood my ground and told them  
that this was the silliest stupidest agreement they could have  
ever made. This is not the time of the Spanish Court and class  
doesn't really matter in love. Then I gave them my second  
surprise, the surprise I am going to give you as well, only that  
I know you will be happy for me and not furious, like they were.  
I am getting married. Her name is Lisandra Oratta. Her family  
runs a small bodega a few blocks from where my office is. I love  
her, Perry. I love her so much it hurts me. I want to marry her.  
I want you to be here for the wedding. Most of all, Per, I want  
your blessing. You are my best friend. I hope you are happy in  
Romania and I hope you have found love there, just as I have  
found love here. Thanks for the dragon pictures. They were  
great. It was a good idea to make them look like if they had  
been painted or drawn. I hope to hear from you soon.  
Yours,  
Ariel  
Then she handed him another paper, from her pocket. This one was written in flowy woman-style writing. A letter from her parents, he decided. It read:  
  
Dearest Perry,  
Hola, mi amor. How are things in Romania? How is the weather? Are you bundling yourself up properly? I still don't like the idea of you being so far away, but it is your life and I am very proud of you, even if I don't show it. I apologize for the bad air between us these past years. I was just honoring tradition. I love you, honey, and I want what is best for you. Now I realize that I did not trust your instincts and that I should have. You know what is good for you. I hope we can start over, again. I know that Ariel has written to you, and so I understand, now, what you have tried to tell me before: that class and rank are not the most important things in the world. You have so much to offer and I know that one day you will find a man, on your own, who will cherish you, as you deserve. Needless to say, Ariel and I had a long discussion when he came to make his announcement. Then I talked with your father and he agrees as well. You are to choose your own path and destiny. We will help you if you want it, but we are no longer going to try to run your life. The old tradition is dead, and we must face that. You are your own mistress now. We are proud of you. Write back soon.  
Love,  
Mami y Papi  
He looked up at her, wonder in his eyes, his voice stuck in his throat. He dared not hope what this meant, for that would be cruel if he were rebuffed. She smiled and nodded whispering,  
"This means I am free, Charlie. It means exactly what you hope it means. It means that you and I are free to love each other." He just looked at her, shocked, speechless as the words sank in. Then he let out a loud whoop, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up twirling her around in a circle, while she squealed and laughed, holding onto him. He then took her face gently in his and kissed her. A sweet kiss that held promises and hope for the both of them. 


	7. Epilogue

Perry smiled to herself as she sat at her desk. Her and Charlie had started going out publicly about two weeks ago. She had answered back both Ariel's and her parents' letters, feeling better than she had in a very long time. Finally, she was free to love and be loved. She shook her head as she tried to get back to work, but her thoughts kept returning to her and Charlie. They were so good, so happy together. She looked up as she heard the fluttering of wings and a brown tawny owl came in through the door. It was Aenid, Maricia's owl. She took the letter from her beak and reached into a drawer for some owl treats. She took the treats then flew out, almost hitting a wizard in the head. Quickly Perry read the letter and smiled, "Oh good. Mari's coming to visit me next month." 


End file.
